Method and composition for improving milling products



Patented Feb. 27, 194i 2,192,100

METHOD AND COMPdSITION FOR, IMPROV- ING MILLING PRODUCTS 1 I Frederic 11. Penn, Dallas, Tex.

No Drawing. Application June 6, 1939 Serial No. 217,737

10 Claims. (01. 99-91) My invention relates to the improvement of powdered form tov effect at least a 90% flour wheat'flour and other milling products, including bleach. v the baking and keeping qualities thereof, and Sodium nitrate in powdered form is the premore particularly has reference to a method and ferred reagent for use with the active organic composition for the simultaneous bleaching and peroxide; potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and =5 ageing or maturing of flour and the like. sodium nitrite are illustrative of other compounds According to present commercial practice, flour suitable for use in powdered form with the active is bleached and aged in separate stages of treatorganic peroxides in accordancewith this invenment. The treatment is accomplished with tion. I gaseous nitrogen trichloride, which matures the As in my prior patents referred to, only certain 10 flour. Nitrogen trichloride, in addition to being organic peroxides are suiliciently active to coopa 'maturing agent, also possesses bleaching propcrate with the nitrates and nitrites to effect the erties, but when used in sufiicient amount to obsimultaneous bleaching and maturing, these being tain a complete conm'iercial bleach, injures the the aromatic and fatty acid peroxides which have quality of the flour. Therefore, for this reason suflicient activity in powdered form to accomnitrogen trichloride is used in an amount not subplish at least a 90 flour bleach. Benzoyl perstantially in excess of that required to mature or oxide is the preferred aromatic peroxide while age the flour, and the necessary additional bleachcinnamyl peroxide and P y acetyl D e a e ing is obtained by a subsequent treatment with other aromatic peroxides whichlhavefound to be 80 benzoyl peroxide, which has no maturing properof sufficient activity and. flour bleaching power '20 ties. While the last-mentioned step is relatively for use with Sod um n trate and the like in acsimple, the gas treatment is quite cumbersome, cordance. with the invention. Suitable active requiring special contacting apparatus and corfatty acid per x O Sufficient bleaching P w rosion-resis'tant equipment and accurate control my P p are y Peroxide, lailiyl D over the gas, which presents many hazards and Oxide d p m acid D ese a O- 25 difficulties in use, I matic and fatty acid peroxides function with the v It is an object of this invention to bleach and finely divided or powdered nitrate or nitrite to age flour and the like in a single operation and to bring about a commercially satisfactory maturing provide a finely divided or powdered composition d bleaching of y fl I believe at I am so which, whe intimately ix d with th flour, the first to discover that the active aromatic and functions to effect a simultaneous bleaching and y. acid pe o d s ave the efie t of increasing ageing of the milling product. The fl r is th the maturing action of powdered nitrates and improved in the two respects mentioned by the hitiitee p d y milling productssimple expedient of mixing the solid composition In practicing the e h of this invention, the u therewith and allowing suiilcient time for the dec in and a e n compos is d directly as sired effects to'take lace, into the flour at any convenient point during the In my prior Patents Nos. 2,158,588 and 2,158,589, milling p t n a d ntim y m x d th r with. I have shown that simultaneous bleaching and by means of P w feeding c e ow u ed ageing of flo' m p t like can be obtained by in the mills, in the proportion of about one-half 40 means, a powdered mixture of a .bromate or ounce to 196 pounds of flour. For thorough dis- 40 iodate with an active organic peroxide, the latter tFibUPiOH of Such Small jlh s o the composiseemingly functioning as an activator or acceleram the flourthe composltlon Should be m the tor for the solid bromates and iodates in their 2 atdry f 'diYided powder maturing of the dry milling product. I have now 5a 15 ac bleaching and 't obtained by found that the alkali metal and alkaline earth exposure of the flour to the 'actlon of the compometal nitrates and nitrites, in powdered form, Smon for about twenty'four hours As illustrative f the re aration of a resimilarly function with the active organic perferred compositiogl, dry pposldered commercial oxides 9 brmg about slmmtaeequs bleachmg grade dicalcium phosphate or other suitable carand agemg of flour P ther m1umg f -rier is added to an equal weight of dry commer- 50 ACCQTdingIY, the Sohd bleachmg and maturmg cial grade granular benzoyl peroxide and the mixcomposition of the present invention comprises a t ground t the desired fineness w th t pre-formed mixture of an alkalinous metal nitrate powder t obtained t r i now i ed dry or nitrite and an tive r nic peroxide, that i powdered sodium nitrate in the proportion of six an organic peroxide which is sufficiently active in parts sodium nitrate to ninety parts of the peroxide-phosphate mixture. The resultant mixture is then ready for use as a flour bleaching and ageing composition in the manner already described.

Since there are many grades of flour, the proportion of peroxide, sodium nitrate and carrier, as 'well as the amount of the composition required for efiective bleaching and maturing, should be determined by tests in particular cases. In some instances for certain kinds of flour the proportion of sodium nitrate may be increased to about eight parts to ninety parts of the peroxide-phosphate mixture and in other instances the amount of sodium nitrate may be decreased to about four parts to ninety parts of the peroxide-phosphate mixture. Ordinarily the p'roportion of six parts of sodium nitrate with ninety dicalcium phosphate as a carrier. indicated in the tables for sake of simplification.

parts of the mixture of equal weights of benzoyl peroxide and dicalcium phosphate is satisfactory for many of the various grades of flour. The proportions here stated are by weight.

-' The compositions of this invention improve the I color and baking qualities of the flour. Loaf volume is one of the most important, if not them'ost important, indication for determining the value of the baking qualities of flour. The volume, of the baked loaf of bread is measured in cubic centimeters and denotes the exact size of the loaf produced. Small volume as obtained with untreated or unmatured flour, indicates low baking strength, while large volume indicates high baking strength, which is apparently brought about by the maturing of the flour.

The following tabulations show, by comparison; the advantages and efiectiveness of my composition. Table I deals with a hard wheat bakers flour and Table IIwith a blend of hard and soft wheat flour. The tables show the amounts of benzoyl peroxide and sodium nitrate used in the tests. In each case where benzoyl peroxide was employed, itwas mixed with an equal weight of This is not The laboratory tests were performed on amounts of fresh milled flour such that the treatments corresponded to the use of about one-half ounce of the composition per 196 pound barrel of flour.

TABLE I Hard wheat bakers flour Loai Color volume, Texture removal Untreated"; 710 None 92 Laboratory treated benzoyl peroxide gm.. sodium nitrate 3 gm. 755 99 98 Laboratory treated benzoyl peroxide 45 gm 668 98 95 Laboratory treated sodium nitrate 3 gm 740 None 97 TABLE II Blend hard and soft wheat flour Loaf vougie. 5:52; Texture untreated 620 None 90 Laboratory treated benzoyl peroxido 45 gm., sodium nitrate 3 gm. 640 99 97 Laboratory treated benzoyl peroxide 45 gm 583 98 95 Laboratory treated sodium nitrate 3 gm I 635 N one n7 Illustrative or the valuations of the tests: The

laboratory treated with the benzoyl peroxide so- I dium nitrate composition yields a loaf volume of 1 755 c. c., an increase of 45 c. c. more than is obtained with untreated flour. Untreated hard wheat flour laboratory treated with benzoyl peroxide alone and in an amount to effect a complete commercial bleach of the flour yields a loaf volume of 668 c. c., a reduction of 42 c. c. in volume less than is obtained with untreated flour. Laboratory sodium nitrate treated hard, wheat flour yields a loaf volume of 740 c. c., an increase in volume of 30 c. c. above the volume obtained with untreated hard wheat flour.

According to the tests, benzoyl peroxide when used alone and in suificient quantity for a complete bleach of the flour reduces the loaf volume. Sodium nitrate when used alone matures the flour somewhat but not to as great an extent as when mixed with the peroxide and it does not have any bleaching effect. When benzoyl peroxide and sodium nitrate in combination are incorporated into the dry flour during the milling process a complete bleach and color removal is obtained with an increase in loaf volume which is in excess of the volume obtainedwhen either" sodium nitrate or benzoyl peroxide is used alone.

In the appended claims I have characterized the organic peroxides as active and as having to distinguish from those organic peroxides which are of insufiicient activity and bleaching power to eifect a commercial bleach. By substantial flour bleaching properties is meant the ability to bleach flour satisfactorily f0r commercial purposes, that is, to efiectgat least a 90% bleach.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A method for improving wheat flour and other milling products which comprises intimately mixing with the dry milling product a powdered active aromatic peroxide having substantial flour bleaching properties and a powdered nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal and alkaline earth metal nitrates and nitrites, the peroxide being in suflicient amount to'bleach the milling product and said salt being in suflicient amount to increase the loaf volume factor of the milling product, and subjecting the milling product: in dry form to the simultaneous 'action of said salt and peroxide {or a suflicient time to bleach and mature the product.

2. A method for improving wheat flour and other milling products which comprises intimately mixing with the dry milling product a powdered active fatty acid peroxide having substantial flour bleaching properties and a powdered nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the simultaneous action of said salt and peroxide 70 for a suflicient time to bleach and'maturethe product.

3. A method for-improving wheat flour and other milling products which comprises intimately mixing with the dry milling product powdered benzoyl peroxide and a powdered nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal and alkaline earth metal nitratw and nitrites, the peroxide being in suflicient amount to bleach the milling product and said salt being 5 in suificient amount to increase the loaf volume factor of the milling product, and subjecting the latter in dry form to the simultaneous action of the peroxide and said salt for a suflicient time to bleach and mature the milling product.

4. A method for improving wheat flour and other milling products which comprises intimately mixing powdered benzoyl peroxide and sodium nitrate with the dry milling product, the peroxide being in suflicient amount to bleach the milling product and the nitrate being in suflicient amount to increase the loaf volume factor of the milling product, and subjecting the latter in dry "form to the simultaneous action of the peroxide and sodium nitrate for a suflicient time to bleach and mature the milling product.

5. A flour bleaching and maturing composition comprising a dry free-flowing powdered mixture of an active aromatic peroxide having substantial flour bleaching properties and a sufiicient quantity of a nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal and alkaline earth metal nitrates and nitrites to overcome the loaf volume reducing factor of the per- 7 tion comprising a dry free-flowing powdered mixture of benzoyl peroxide and a sufflcient quantity of a nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal and alkaline earth metal nitrates and nitrites to overcome 5 the loaf volume -reducing factor of the peroxide.

8. A flour bleaching and maturing composition comprising a dry free-flowing powdered mixture of benzoyl peroxide and a suflicient quantity of sodium nitrate to overcome the loaf volume 10 reducing factor of the peroxide.

9. A method for improving wheat flour and other milling products which comprises intimately mixing with the dry milling product a powdered active organic peroxide selected from the group 15 consisting of the aromatic andiatty acid peroxides having substantial fiour'bleaching properties, additionally mixing with the dry milling product a powdered nitrogen acid salt selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal and 20 alkaline earth metal nitrates and nitrites, said peroxide being in sufficient amount to bleach the milling product and said salt being in sufiicient amount to increase the loaf volume factor of the milling product, and subjecting the latter in dry 25 form to the simultaneous action of said salt and peroxide for a sufficient time to bleach and mature the product.

10. A flour bleaching and maturing composition comprising a dry free-flowing powdered mix- 

